


The Benefits of an Unlocked Door

by starlitpurple



Category: Power Rangers, Power Rangers Jungle Fury
Genre: Gen, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-20
Updated: 2012-12-20
Packaged: 2017-11-21 16:16:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,954
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/599714
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starlitpurple/pseuds/starlitpurple
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things are looking better and better.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Benefits of an Unlocked Door

**Author's Note:**

  * For [DragonSteel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/DragonSteel/gifts).



> Much love and many hugs to my three wonderful betas (you know who you are ^_~), thank you for all your help! ♥

Arms full of boxes piled so high he could barely see over them, RJ stumbled in through the alley entrance of his new place. He'd forgotten about that little step. ...Again. This was the last load to be brought in though, which was good, because in addition to that troublesome step, it looked like it was going to storm soon.

He walked over to the prep table—or what would be the prep table for all those pizzas he would soon be making—and set the boxes down.

He wanted to sit and relax, but he was pretty sure these boxes were the toppings, most of which would need to be refrigerated. With a sigh he opened the top box, and yeah, he was right. Grabbing the stack of boxes again, he went over to the small walk-in and set the boxes down. He'd worry about going through them later.

He thought about to going up to the loft, but decided not to. There wasn't much up there right now anyway, and the booths in the dining room would be more comfortable than his little mat on the floor right now. Other than the few belongings he'd brought with him from the academy, he'd rescued a few (perfectly good!) tvs from dumpsters, but they weren't exactly comfy furniture.

He pushed open the door to the dining room and froze. He wasn't alone. There was a girl with shoulder-length hair pulled into low pigtails standing just inside the front door, checking out the new tables on the opposite end of the room. RJ just watched her until she turned and noticed him. He gave her a friendly smile, but didn't get a chance to get a word out before she started rambling at him.

“Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone was here! You are the new owner aren't you?” she asked, but all RJ could do was nod before she continued on. “I thought so. I knocked but there was no answer, so I was just going to come in and leave this,” she held up a couple of books in her left hand as she barreled on talking, “but then I saw all the tables and chairs and booths and it looks so different, and I...”

She was carrying on so much that RJ started to worry about the girl. If she didn't take a breath soon, she'd surely pass out. He crossed the room before the girl had even realized he'd moved, and when he put his hands on both of her arms, she stopped and stared for a moment.

“Just breathe,” he said, and she did. He smiled at her and stepped back, leaving one hand out. Before she could start again, he introduced himself in the hope that she would offer her name in return. “I'm RJ.”

The girl stared a moment longer, face a bit red as she took his hand and shook it. “Fran.”

“Fran,” he repeated, committing it to memory. He had a feeling he'd be seeing more of this girl. “I was about to take a break myself, would you like to join me?”

“Oh...i-if you wouldn't mind. I really didn't mean to intrude. I should probably just be going anyway.” She turned and hurried for the door, stopping for a moment. “I'm sorry.”

RJ's eyes fell on the books she had mentioned earlier sitting on one of the tables. “Wait,” he paused and waited for her to turn. “Your books.” He grabbed them up and held them out to her.

“Oh, right. Those aren't mine. I was just going to return them, but this isn't the same place anymore and you're here now and I don't know where the owner is so I don't know where to take them and I tho--”

“Breathe, Fran,” RJ interrupted. He stepped forward and guided her over to the nearest booth, setting the books down on the table. “Can I get you anything to drink? I just got the last of my stock in today and I need someone to try it out with me.”

“Uh, sure,” she answered with a nervous smile.

He half expected her to be gone by the time he returned with the two glasses of apple juice, but she was still sitting there, looking a bit calmer than before and once more, studying the place over. He handed her a glass as he sat, and she eyed it.

“Uh...You know I'm underage right?”

RJ blinked. “What?”

She pushed the glass away. “I'm sorry, I can't drink this.”

RJ bit his lip. He should have asked her what she liked beforehand. She might be allergic to the juice. “Ahh, sorry, I should have asked what you wanted to drink. I can get you something other than apple juice. It was just the easiest to get to.”

“Oh! Apple juice! Sorry, I thought...” She shook her head. “This is fine, thank you.”

RJ frowned as he took a sip of his drink and set it down. “Well, I wanted to try a new concoction, but I couldn't get to the tomato juice, and the lemon juice is all the way in the back.”

Fran gave him a worried look, and then looked around the place again. “But this is a pizza place isn't it? I mean, it looks like a pizza place.”

RJ beamed proudly. “JKP.”

“Hmm?”

“Oh right, I haven't got the signs up yet. JKP is the name of the place. Otherwise known as Jungle Karma Pizza.” He moved his hands in an expansive gesture as he recited the restaurant's name, and when he looked back at Fran, she had a small smile on her face. “I'll be selling more than just pizza. I'll have some pastas too! And I have all these ideas for new pizza toppings and combinations.”

Fran giggled at him as he finished. “You really are excited about this place.”

RJ's eyes gleamed. “Of course! It's pizza,” he told her, as if that explained everything. Which, by the look on Fran's face, and the nodding, it must have.

“Pizza's my favorite food,” she whispered, as if imparting one of her secrets. But then her eyes dropped to the table. “I do miss the old place though. I know you didn't have anything to do with that but,” she shrugged. “I just used to hang out here a lot. I didn't know it had closed down.”

RJ's interest perked. He hadn't known much about the previous owners. “This used to be a bookstore, right?” he asked.

“Library, of sorts. Privately owned,” she told him. “We have the public one, of course, but I liked it here cause it was quiet. Not as many people knew about it. Not to mention I'd read most of the selection at the public library. They had all these eclectic titles and things I'd never heard of here.”

RJ nodded. “I see.”

“I haven't been in in a while though, and I'd been meaning to get these books back—Mr. Cantoni would let you borrow them as long as you wanted, you just had to bring in the ones you had before to check out any more. He was a nice man.”

She shook her head after a moment and smiled at RJ. “Anyway, what about you? Did you always want to open up a pizza parlor?”

RJ laughed. In truth he hadn't even thought of running a restaurant before a few weeks ago. He'd needed a change, something different, and well, opportunity had happened. And he'd gone with it. You'd never know if you didn't try, right?

“It wasn't the plan, actually.” He frowned. “To be honest, opening a restaurant was something I never considered I would do.”

“...Ah,” Fran said after a moment of staring at him in confusion. “So you just woke up one day and decided you wanted to do this?”

“Yes!” RJ replied enthusiastically. “Well, I saw this place for sale and liked it. I've just been following with the flow of things since. Somewhere in there I decided on a pizza parlor, and well,” he spread his arms out to his sides. “This happened.”

Fran followed his grand gesture, looked around the room, and then back at him. “Uh huh.”

They continued talking until their drinks were gone, and Fran stood. “It's been nice chatting with you, but I really should be going.”

“I'll walk you out,” RJ told her, sliding out of the booth.

She smiled and picked up the books she'd brought with her, looking a bit down again.

“You know,” RJ offered. “I could try to find out where the previous owner went. How to get in contact with him. Find out if there's any reason I shouldn't have done all this... Pass along the word that the old place is missed?” He winked at her and her smile returned.

“Thanks RJ.” She stopped at the door and turned. “And just so you know, I think I'm going to like this place, too.”

“I'm glad to hear it! Hey, maybe you can help me taste test some things I want to try sometime,” he offered.

She looked a bit squeamish, and giggled nervously. “Uh yeah!” she replied a little over enthusiastically. “It was nice meeting you, RJ,” she said as she turned to leave, giving the dining room one last look over. “And good luck. Looks like it's going to be amazing.”

He tipped his head in her direction. “Thank you! I'll be looking forward to seeing you again.”

“Oh!” Fran exclaimed. “When do you open?”

“If all goes to plan? Next week.” He held the door open for her and she stepped through. “Should I be expecting you?”

“Yes! I have to try out that pizza after all. I'm curious to see what Jungle Karma tastes like.”

“Me too!” RJ replied with a smile and a wave as she turned and headed down the sidewalk.

“Oh,” she said over her shoulder, “maybe you should lock the doors.”

“Thanks!” he called after her.

When she'd gone out of sight, RJ went back inside, pulled the door shut and locked it. He wasn't particularly worried about it—after all leaving it unlocked had resulted in gaining a friend, but Fran seemed like a worrier, and he didn't want to make her worry.

He made his way back into the kitchen, collecting the glasses from the table as he went, and set them in the sink before going to check the alley door. It wasn't locked, he knew, and he opened it once more to make sure it was closed tight. (It was an older door that you had to pull a little harder to latch.)

He was just about to pull it closed once more when he spotted It. His eyes went from the object to the sky and back. It was really about to rain now. But if he hurried...

Decision made, he rushed out to the dumpster, pulled the bag of garbage out of the way, and sat experimentally in the green recliner.

Why would anyone throw away something as beautiful and comfortable as this piece of furniture?

It started sprinkling.

Five minutes later, his shoulders dotted with rain water, he had maneuvered the chair from the alley up to his loft.

Now there was only one thing to do. He sat and reclined, tucking his arms behind his head. His eyes drooped almost immediately.

Before he dozed off, he caught sight of one of the new signs he had yet to put up, and he couldn't help the smile that made its way onto his face.

New start, new friend, and, best of all, new chair.

Yeah, his karma was looking pretty good.


End file.
